These are not doughy inside, will not flop or stick to the pan. I bake great Yorkshire puddings to the accompaniment of two screaming fire alarms. The secret of Yorkshire puddings is very hot oil and room temperature ingredients. Make up the batter and let it sit on the counter for two hours. The batter has to rest and the ingredients must be at room temperature or they will not puff up. I have tried different recipes but I keep going back to the same one. The batter must be thin, thinner than a crepe batter, and part of the liquid should always be water. That is how my best friend’s British [very] mother in-law, the late Mrs. Eggleton used to make it. Mrs. Eggleton was the one who insisted on the thin consistency. I could not believe it when this first worked for me. Now you have these celebrity chefs running about with their 6-egg Yorkshire puddings. Contrary to popular opinion, you do not need many eggs to make the Yorkshire puddings. Assemble the pudding from room temperature ingredients early and then bake them after you tented the roast. While the Yorkshire puddings bake, make the gravy. By the time the Yorkshire puddings are ready the roast will be ready too. Recipe yields 12 large ones.
1 cup plain flour [150 g]
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup + 1/8 cup milk [150 ml]
1/3 cup + 1/8 cup water [110 ml]
6 tsp lard or shortening for the tins
• Mix up the batter at least 2 hours before cooking.
• Whisk the eggs and then whisk in the rest of the ingredients.
• Batter should be thin.
• Do not refrigerate batter. Let batter rest for 2 hours at room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 425F.
• Add 1/2 tsp of cold lard or shortening to each muffin tin.
• Place muffin tin in the hot oven for a couple of minutes at 425F.
• When oil is very hot, remove muffin tin from the oven and quickly pour in the batter. Muffin tins should be 3/4 full of batter.
• Return muffin tins to the oven and bake at 425F for 20 minutes.
• Do not open the door while puddings are baking.
• When puddings are puffed up and golden brown remove them from the oven.
• Serve Yorkshire puddings immediately.
